


高嶺の花 - A Flower Beyond Reach

by skullstrings



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: DILF Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Daughter!Mikasa, Father-Daughter Relationship, Gen, Karate Instructor!Eren, Parenthood, Pining, Single Parents, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-16
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-14 19:13:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28800393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skullstrings/pseuds/skullstrings
Summary: Levi is a single father left to raise his 9 year old daughter, Mikasa Ackerman, alone in America. After a fight at school has Levi questioning his parenting skills as well as Mikasa’s happiness, he decides to sign her up for karate in order to boost her self-esteem.Of course, there’s a certain karate instructor with bright green eyes that is determined to worm his way into Levi’s already tightly-packed life.
Relationships: Levi Ackerman & Mikasa Ackerman, Levi Ackerman/Eren Yeager, Levi/Eren Yeager
Comments: 25
Kudos: 81
Collections: Levi x Eren





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> 高嶺の花 - Takane no Hana is a metaphor which comes from the fact that flowers on a high peak on a mountain aren’t easily reachable. It also expresses a feeling of admiration.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to my newest fic! Sorry if it seems slow right now, but I’m just world building and getting everything set up. We’ll see Eren next time! Don’t worry! 
> 
> Updates should be once every week or so—Be patient. I’m still working on Mr. Ackerman and a few strays, and I want this piece to a bit more in depth with some more development. 
> 
> But thanks for reading!!! Hope you enjoy :)

St. Maria Elementary school was a nice place in its own right, with high ratings from parents and a nice, clean facility for the students. The playground was new, the teachers experienced and the presence of security guards made Levi feel as though he was making the right choice for his daughter, Mikasa.

Mikasa Ackerman started as a bright eyed, gap-toothed kindergartner with a quiet, curious voice and long dark hair. She was a curiosity to the other students, moving from Japan and speaking bare scraps of English. Though she was a novelty to others, it was incredibly difficult for Mikasa to make friends at the end of the day. Kids were nice, but they were also attentive to small differences in culture, language or even manner of dress.

It started small. Mikasa struggled with writing in English, and especially cursive. She began coming home with seemingly innocent observations about her day; Kids pestered her about how weird kanji looked compared to English letters, or they made note of how ‘smelly’ her lunchbox was or even how she would say words wrong.

Levi brushed it off at first. He assured his daughter that there weren’t a lot of people like him and her around, but they would warm up to her eventually. After all, how cruel could a bunch of school children be?

As it turned out, very cruel.

As Mikasa progressed to the fourth grade, her English exponentially improved but not the circumstances around her. A few girls talked with her, but sheepishly explained that their other friends wouldn’t be enthused about their involvement with Mikasa, who was effectively dubbed ‘China Girl’. The bullying, the isolation and the lack of action from the teachers made Levi feel like a failure at times.

Mikasa acted stoic and tough about it, brushing off the kids as ‘meanies’ and saying she knew there was nothing wrong with her heritage. Levi appreciated this, but he knew it was hard on her. She was a very bright girl, and Levi could see her self-esteem being destroyed at being treated like a dumb foreigner by her peers.

He considered moving Mikasa back to Japan, where she spoke and wrote the language and she could make friends with those who would accept her without question. But Japan had its own problems, and Levi moved to America specifically to avoid _those_ problems.

He also considered moving Mikasa to Sina, a centralized and busy city where there existed such a place like ‘Chinatown’ and ‘Little Tokyo’. Would Mikasa be happy there? Around other people like them?

However, he chose Shiganshina specifically for the presence of his best friends, the low cost of living and his elderly parents. It was simply too perfect to pass up. Hanji offered him a comfortable job at her video game company and her son Armin was close enough in age to Mikasa that it meant she would have at least one friend. It was a smaller town with its only central attraction being the somewhat prestigious Maria State University nearby. There were many local restaurants, a sizable zoo and aquarium attraction as well as the green landscape of trees around them.

The fourth grade looked promising, as well. Mikasa was excited, raving about her new teacher, Ms. Petra, who said ‘hello’ to her in her native tongue on the first day of class. Levi decided he quite liked this Petra woman, and made a mental note to introduce himself later.

Though the fourth grade looked hopeful, it quickly crumbled within the second week of class.

It started at work. Levi was typing away at his desk per usual, responding to some email Hanji had sent him that morning. It was a tough week, as the backers of the project they were working on were putting pressure on Hanji and her team to work faster. That meant that all hands were on deck, including Levi, who was a lead developer within the company.

A phone call erupted at his desk, Levi answering swiftly. 

“Levi Ackerman.”

“This is Petra Bossard, Mikasa’s fourth grade teacher? I have some troubling news regarding Mikasa . . .” 

Levi’s eyes widened. He hung up right after the conversation and left immediately.

-

“Good morning, you must be Mikasa’s father!” A woman stood, smoothing out her skirt and offering a polite smile. “I’m Petra Bossard, Mikasa’s teacher for the year. How are you this morning?”

She stood from behind the conference table, a folder neatly assorted on the table next to a steaming mug of light colored coffee.

Petra was _very_ pretty—and that was the first detail Levi noticed. She was shorter than Levi, with shoulder length, strawberry blonde hair and big, hazel colored eyes. Levi also noticed a wedding ring.

“I’m well, thank you,” He replied politely enough. “And you?”

Her demeanor was nervous, which caught Levi’s attention. He knew what they were both here for, and yet, Petra was the one to echo Levi’s nervous attitudes.

The woman sighed, her smile letting up. “Good, yes—I’m _so_ sorry for pulling you from your job, Mr . . . ?”

“Levi is fine.” He wasn’t too peeved about leaving work all of a sudden. Hanji was a very forgiving and understanding boss, and it showed.

“Levi,” Petra nodded warmly, repeating the name. “Please, sit. I just wanna clue you in on the incident this morning.”

“Where’s Mikasa?” Levi asked cautiously, his eyes darting about the conference room. There was nothing in the surrounding rooms except for other teachers, Levi knew that, but he still wondered where they placed his daughter.

“Mikasa is currently sitting in my classroom coloring, so she’s okay,” Petra carefully said, wringing her hands together. “But . . . Oh boy, how do I begin.”

The teacher averted her gaze to the table and chewed on her bottom lip nervously. She tucked her hair behind her ear and sighed, Levi deducing quickly that she was most likely a newer teacher.

“Mikasa and another student got into an altercation this morning at recess. Now when I saw Mikasa was on my roster for the school year, I was clued in to her erm . . .” Her hand drifted over to the folder. “Her _difficulty_ with adapting to the other children. Now, I’m going to be a bit candid here if you don’t mind . . .” 

“Please,” Levi assured. He would prefer teachers being straightforward with Levi, instead of the sugary lies about his daughter that other teachers have attempted in the past.

“Mikasa is very smart,” Petra began, her mind lost in a place that wasn’t neither here nor there. “She’s done an exceptional job at coping with the other students but I’m very worried about her. Is everything alright at home?”

Levi grew defensive very quickly. “Yes. She’s fine at home. It’s just at school.” There was a lot more he wanted to say. He wanted to bring up how previous teachers were ignorant, no— _complicit_ with Mikasa’s bullying. It wasn’t until an ugly incident where Levi was left alone with the principal that Mikasa would be switched to a different classroom with a more apt teacher.

Petra kept her earnest stare. “Mr. Ackerman— _Levi_. I’m having this meeting with you as to avoid any disciplinary action that might have otherwise been inflicted on Mikasa. I certainly don’t want that for her, and I’m sure you don’t. So you can be honest with me, okay? Is Mikasa’s mother—?”

“She’s not in the picture,” Levi interrupted, which he rarely did. But he would rather shut that route down before Petra could dare to venture. He didn’t like bringing Mikasa’s mother up, and he certainly didn’t want to discuss it with a _teacher_.

Petra pursed her lips. “I see. Well, I don’t want to _force_ you to make any adjustments on her home life or impose myself, of course.”

“Sure . . .” Levi’s eyes narrowed, unsure of where this conversation was headed.

“But as a young woman, it’s very important to boost Mikasa’s self-esteem. Might I suggest that Mikasa join a sport or an activity? We have a few after school clubs here at the school that Mikasa could try out—if-if it agrees with your schedule, of course. I’m sure you’re very busy.”

Levi thought about it. Petra grew uncomfortable with his silence, Levi thinking she might have been worried about crossing the line.

In their five or so years of being in America, Levi had completely forgotten about Mikasa being able to partake in sports or activities. Mikasa never asked, so Levi never considered it.

“Thank you,” Levi spoke, starting Petra slightly. “I’m grateful you’re looking out for her this much. Mikasa likes you.”

Petra’s eyes lit up. “O-Oh! It’s my pleasure, really. Mikasa is such a wonderful girl. But please, let me know how it goes!”

“Of course.”

-

“Do you want to talk about what happened?” Levi asked, boldly glancing up in the rear view mirror to get a glimpse of his daughter’s impossibly dark eyes blink up at him.

Mikasa tightened her lips, her fingers fidgeting with her backpack. “I’m sorry, Papa. Are you mad at me?”

“No,” Levi answered, his grip loosening on the steering wheel. “So . . . A kid was being mean to you again, huh?”

Her eyes fluttered to the floor of the car, which was kept impeccably clean. She dug the front end of her sneaker into the carpet. Her dark hair fell forward and shadowed her face from her father, who refused to look back. When he heard sniffling, his gut tightened.

Oh, how he hated hearing Mikasa cry. It was one of the worst sounds in the world.

“Oi, oi, don’t cry Mika-chan,” Levi scolded lightly, making sure to use her nickname. “Papa isn’t mad at you, I promise.”

She dragged a tear stained arm across her cheek, looking up in the mirror. Levi made the mistake of looking up, cringing at her pinked cheeks and her watery eyes. He wanted nothing more than to pull the girl into his arms and tell her that everything will be okay, and that she will never have any problems as long as her father is around.

But that wasn’t true.

Levi chewed onto his bottom lip. Mikasa was growing up into a big girl. Levi couldn’t shield her from everything forever. Especially consequence.

“What happened, Mika-chan?” Levi asked again, gentler this time. He reached into the console and pulled out a few tissues, reaching back over the seat to hand him to his daughter.

Mikasa took a deep breath, just like Levi had taught her during moments like these. She grabbed at the tissues and wiped at her face.

“Today, we were drawing our mommies and daddies. I didn’t draw a mommy, and then-and then at recess, this boy named Henry kept following me and telling me that my family is missing a half. So I got very mad and I hurt him.”

This was . . . _troubling_ , to say in the least. Mikasa wasn’t a violent child by any means of that word. She could be intense or competitive, even protective, but she wasn’t so willing to use force like that. There must’ve been more to the story that Mikasa wasn’t elaborating on. That was a problem for another day. 

Levi frowned. 

It’s not a secret that Levi was a single father, and had been for many years. With some occasional help from his own mother, he felt as though he was content with the life style he’s been given. Mikasa was an easygoing child, and he was sure he had the resources to raise her all on his own. 

His circumstances weren’t ideal, admittedly. He would love for Mikasa to have a relationship with her mother, but he learned a long time ago that it wasn’t up to him.

Mikasa’s mother was alive and well, living in Japan and doing who knows what. But it was simply her choice to not be included in Mikasa’s life, and Levi respected it. He still received the monthly child support checks, so he really had nothing to complain about. It could always be worse. 

“Mikasa, let me tell you something very important, okay?” Levi gently creaked to a stop at a red light. “Not every family will look like our family. Some families have two mommies, two daddies, one mommy, one daddy, no mommy, no daddy . . . Some families could even have grandmas and grandpas and no mommies or daddies.”

Mikasa blinked. “R-Really?”

“Really,” Levi assured. “Everyone’s family is a little different. And our family is the same way. We’re just _different_ , Mika-chan. That doesn’t mean our family isn’t family.”

Mikasa nodded slowly, the gears turning in her head. It was clear that Levi’s words eased her initial hurt, but she still looked troubled over the prospect of having no mother.

“And don’t hit people,” Levi added as an afterthought. “When the other kids are being mean to you, you must tell an adult. Especially Ms. Petra, do you understand me?”

“Yes, Papa.”

“Now what do you want for dinner? Answer quickly or I’ll make Auntie Hanji cook for you.”

-

“Thanks for coming over,” Levi sighed, cracking open his beer and slumping into his sofa.

 _What a shitty day._ Levi grimaced to himself, raising a limp hand to click through Netflix. He scrolled through and through before settling on a stupid anime. 

“It’s not a problem, honey bunches!” Hanji waved her hand, swinging her long brown hair into a loose bun on the top of her head. “Erwin’s parents are in town, so you already know we’re set on leaving Armin with them whenever possible.”

She tilted her beer back and sat on the couch next to her husband, who opened his arm and rested it against Hanji’s shoulders. He emptied his own beer, his work clothes loose and crumpled. Though his wife ran a small, but profitable video game company, Erwin still worked long hours as a financial analyst for another company. His hours were long and grueling. Levi felt pity.

Levi didn’t hesitate to ask his two best friends over after Mikasa went to bed. Though, he doubted she was actually sleeping, since she was recently gifted a Nintendo Switch by her grandmother. Regardless, he was keen on having some down time with his equally hard-working friends as they popped open beers and vented about their lives.

“Oh yeah?” Levi asked almost teasingly. “And how’s that going?”

“Oh, I love my in-laws!” Hanji grinned, looking as tired as ever. “When they’re living in Sina and not _here_.” She took another swig of her beer, looking as though she wanted to drown herself in it. “I mean honestly, what kind of people just _show up_ , huh? The nerve . . .”

Erwin groaned, pinching the space between his eyes. “Enough about my parents—Levi, how’s eh—how’s Mikasa?”

“The brat got in trouble at school today,” Levi grumbled, tilting the amber colored bottle in his hands and looking at the liquid with disdain. “She beat up a kid because he teased her about not having a mom.”

Hanji pursed her lips, her brows furrowing deep in worry. She was certainly no stranger to Levi’s issues with his ex-wife. “I’m sorry, Levi.”

“What are you going to do?” Erwin asked.

Levi shrugged. “Her teacher said she should be put in a sport or some shit like that. Let her build up her self-esteem, rah, rah, rah. She was too pretty I was hardly paying attention.”

Hanji barked out a laughter at her friend’s candid speech. “How long has it been since you’ve got laid?”

“How old is Mikasa . . . ?” Levi sarcastically pondered. “I don’t have time for that. Especially not now when I have a troubled kid to take care of.”

“You know what you should do?” Erwin asked, tilting his beer forward. A bit spilled from the top, making Levi scowl. “My old boss runs a karate studio now. You should look into it.”

Levi stared at the spilled beer in his carpet before looking back up at Erwin. “You’re a monster.”

“I’ll clean it, don’t be a prick,” Erwin waved his free hand. “But yeah. Karate. Mikasa’s a big kid and a girl like her should know how to defend herself.”

“Yeah,” Hanji nodded, gauging Levi’s reaction. “Mikasa’s gonna be bigger than Levi. Shorty needs a body guard for when he’s old and his filter is long gone.”

Levi pressed the bottle to his lips once more, glaring at the two chuckleheads. “Why do I even bother with you two?”

-

The next morning, Levi asked Mikasa about how she would feel if she tried out a karate class after school today.

“What’s karate?” Mikasa frowned, stabbing into her egg to let the yolk run throughout the rest of her plate.

Levi ignored this gross habit of hers. “It’s a martial art.” He sat down to join her for breakfast, indulging himself in a hard boiled egg and some toast.

And this was how their mornings went. Levi would cook up a special breakfast for her, sometimes an omelet, sometimes pancakes, but she wolfed them down all the same. After breakfast, Levi would drop Mikasa off and run to work, where he would spend half his time working and the other half worrying about Mikasa.

“What’s a . . . Marshall’s art?”

“ _Martial art_ ,” Levi repeated. “It’s fighting or self defense. It’s a form of sport that came from Japan, you know.”

“Really?” Mikasa’s eyes brightened. “And I can learn it? Do you think they speak Japanese over there too?”

Levi chuckled. “Well, I wouldn’t count on it. Do you wanna try it after school today?”

“YES!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and criticisms are always welcome!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello hello!! Welcome to chapter 2! 
> 
> I wanted to thank you all for the lovely comments from last chapter, and I hope  
> I can continue to bring you guys something you can look forward to. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

All morning, Mikasa was babbling about the karate lessons later today and how excited she was. Levi kept gently reminding her that they still had many hours until the actual lessons. She, of course, barely listened, only asking questions about karate—

“Who will be there?”

“I don’t know, Mika-chan. Papa will be there.”

“Who made up Karate, anyway?”

“I’m not sure. Maybe you’ll find out when you get there.”

He remembered their interaction this morning with a smile. It’s been a long time since Levi has seen Mikasa this excited about something. Her energy was truly bright, infecting Levi so much that Hanji teased him at work all day.

When he pulled up to the front of the low, cream colored buildings he recognized as her school, he scanned for the dark haired girl immediately. She was tall for her age, so it shouldn’t be hard to find her at all.

He pulled his car up behind another parent, tapping on the steering wheel impatiently. Picking up Mikasa was a pain. Other parents were impatiently bad drivers, clogging the lanes or cutting in line. Levi thought that in an ideal world, people would be the most careful around elementary school children.

As he scanned the crowd of students filing from the buildings, he wondered if Mikasa had an alright day at school. Her teacher, that Petra woman, hadn’t called him all day. But he supposed that was a good thing, right?

Mikasa appeared, her dark hair swirling about her shoulders as she frantically looked for her father’s car. Levi honked, causing the girl to flinch before looking over and bearing the biggest smile he’d seen on her in a long time.

“Papa!” Mikasa grinned, throwing open the car before climbing into the backseat. She threw her backpack across the seats and it hit the opposite window with a _thud_.

“Oi,” Levi scolded as the girl buckled herself in. “気をつけてね, Mika-chan.”

“Sorry, Papa,” Mikasa sheepishly grinned, closing the car door. “It feels like I’ve been waiting allll dayyyyy for karate!” She exasperated falling over, making Levi scoff and turn back to the steering wheel.

“We have a few hours to kill before Karate,” Levi absentmindedly noted. “After we get home, I’m gonna make you some snacks and we can watch a karate movie, how about it?”

“Okay!” Mikasa bounced in her seat. “But drive fast, okay, Papa?”

“You want Papa to go to jail?”

“If it means I can go to karate faster.”

Levi rolled his eyes. “Brat.”

-

Karate could not have come sooner.

Within the hour and a half they had to themselves, Levi cut up some apples in the shapes of bunnies and handed it to Mikasa, who gratefully accepted. It was one of the few things he enjoyed doing for the girl, cutting up fruit. It would remind him of how his own mother would when he was a child. He swore that was their only bonding connection, since his mother was a rather cold and non-affectionate person.

After a whiny protest from his daughter, Levi set forth to turning on the TV. He tried finding karate movies on Netflix, but they were, of course, a little too violent for a 9 year old girl.

“How about this?” Levi asked, clicking on a little cartoon. “It’s called Avatar, the Last Airbender. It looks like karate, right?”

The preview played, vibrant colors and friendly sounding kid voices emitting from the television screen.

Mikasa perked up at the show, though he doubted she ever heard of it. Levi clicked on it right away. The cartoon started with some cool, kung fu looking moves so he figured that was enough.

“Here, watch this,” Levi ordered, pointing at the screen. “Papa’s gonna make a phone call, okay?”

“Shhh.”

Levi made a face at her. “Sheesh, okay.”

Taking this as an excuse to leave, Levi walked into the hallway and brought out his phone. He scrolled through his call history to find this number, as he never saved it.

He held the phone up to his ear and realized his hand was shaking, almost as if the phone weighed a thousand tons.

The phone line trilled for a few rings and Levi considered hanging up entirely. Perhaps this was a waste of time. Levi could most certainly afford the karate lessons on his own, of course. But it wouldn’t hurt having some help.

“もしもし?” The tired voice answered right away.

His gut tightened. Levi rarely made phone calls to his ex-wife, as there was simply nothing for them to talk about. It was also extremely difficult, considering that Levi still harbored some obvious resentment for her for leaving.

But he was able to remain civil with her, as communication was sometimes necessary when it came to Mikasa.

“It’s me.”

“Levi?” The voice stirred, making Levi know immediately that she thought of hanging up right then and there.

Levi stiffened at the sleepy beckoning of his name. He took in a deep breath, his mind swirling. His gut felt as though it dropped to the center of the Earth, and a sudden dread filled his body like lead.

“I have work soon,” The voice murmured, breaking Levi from his trance. “What is it?”

“Mikasa is taking karate lessons,” Levi began, his voice a little quieter. God forbid Mikasa walk in on this phone call. That would ruin everything. “You think you can send some extra money next month?”

“Mm . . . Okay, sure, sure.” She yawned. Levi was a little surprised she agreed, but she was good that way. Maybe it was pressure from her parents or Japanese culture in general, but his ex was always keen on supporting Levi and Mikasa, though she had no interest in being involved at all in either one of their lives.

 _She also had the money to waste._ Levi scoffed bitterly.

“Was that it?”

“Yes.”

“Take some pictures,” She said. “My parents would love to see.”

Levi scoffed. “You still talk to them after they completely disowned you?”

That was a painful memory.

His ex parents-in-law completely flipped the lid when they found out that their daughter had left Levi and Mikasa to fend for themselves, which caused Levi to move their only granddaughter to the United States. Levi remembered them yelling and pointing, which was completely uncharacteristic for an elderly Japanese couple.

Levi still kept in touch with them, though they coldly made no mention of their daughter.

She giggled, making Levi’s heart clench in a familiar and painful way. “Shut up. They’ve come to terms with it, I think. They still want me to . . . talk to her, I guess.”

“You should. She’s been getting um . . . It’s not been easy for her,” Levi admitted, pacing further down the hall. He didn’t want to worry his ex with the notion that Mikasa was being bullied at school—though he doubted she would care. “At _least_ talk to her.”

There was silence on the other end. Levi pulled his phone back to make sure his ex-wife had not hung up yet. Instead, he found the increasing seconds on their call.

“I don’t think I’m ready,” She replied truthfully. “Give me time, okay? But I’m sorry. I have to go now. I have a company to run, remember? 後で話しましょう. Bye bye.”

“じゃあね.”

“Papa?”

Levi jumped out of his skin. Mikasa was standing at the end of the hall, adorning her innocently curious face as always.

“I was on the phone with your Baba,” Levi lied defensively, tucking his phone away. “What’s wrong, honey?”

“You told me to tell you when it’s 4,” Mikasa gently reminded him. “We have to do my hair, remember?”

Levi clicked his tongue. “Good memory. Come with Papa to the bathroom and I’ll do your hair, okay?”

-

Levi stepped back to admire his work.

Being a single dad to a young girl, he learned quickly that hair was a big, big deal. Though he just wanted to comb it through and send her off to school that way, this was the one thing he placed importance on. Mikasa always felt prettier afterwards and this was a huge bonding experience for the two.

Levi took as many classes as he could. He learned from his own mother and Hanji on how to dress Mikasa’s gorgeously long hair into something that would make the little girl feel like a princess.

Satisfied, Levi stepped backwards.

This wasn’t exactly an intricate hairstyle, but Levi _did_ do some good work.

It was a few braids that led over from Mikasa’s scalp in a diagonal direction over to a high side ponytail. He slapped on a beautiful red bow and called it a day. Mikasa seemed excited, her smile spreading as she leaned forward to admire her father’s handiwork in the mirror.

“It looks so pretty!” She observed, tilting her head. Her ink black hair caught the light, glimmering like the sea.

“You’ll be the best karate princess there ever was,” Levi agreed. “Now let’s get to it. I want to get there early.”

-

Levi wasn’t sure if he was doing this right. Though, the most of his time spent being a father was being unsure if he was doing this right. So maybe this was a natural feeling. But still . . .

He had the correct building. In fact, he recognize Keith Shadis’ car parked right out front.

So what gives?

Levi shook his head, annoyed and popped out of his car. He circled around and opened the door for Mikasa, who looked as unsure and nervous as he did. She held a little backpack with water and some snacks, as Levi recommended. After all, this _was_ a sport.

The karate building was its own building. Two floors and a lot of tall windows where Levi could see some older looking kids setting up mats and whatnot. Everyone wore different karate uniforms, so he was definitely in the right place.

Levi didn’t think twice about entering. He figured if he hesitated any longer, he would throw Mikasa back in the car and make her do soccer like every other kid her age. Besides—Karate was dangerous, right? It was a fighting sport. Would Mikasa even do something like this?

The receptionist blinked up, a little startled. She looked young—almost too young to be running the front. She had big blue eyes and long, blonde hair. The girl also wore a crisp, white button up that read _SHADIS KARATE & KICKBOXING_ in small, red letters.

“Hello, how may I help you?” She asked warmly, tilting her head and giving Mikasa an encouraging smile. “I like your pretty hair!”

“Thank you! My Papa did it for me!” Mikasa’s chest swelled with pride.

“He did a very good job!”

Levi planted a hand on her shoulder, bringing her close. “We’re here for the junior karate lessons. Is Shadis here?”

“No, he stepped out for a minute,” She answered, pouting slightly. “How else can I help you today?”

The older man tried to ignore how honey sweet and artificial her voice sounded. “I’m here to sign my daughter up. It’s her first time.”

“Oh, wonderful! Well, if you fill out one of these clipboards I can help your daughter put on one of our uniforms . . .?”

Levi shifted his eyes from Mikasa to the receptionist before deciding to trust the situation. Mikasa didn’t seem to mind her father’s departure, bounding happily behind the receptionist.

The older man grabbed a pen from the cup on the desk before heading over to one of the many chairs they had against the windows. This was presumably for the parents who wanted to watch their kids use their hard earned money to feel like karate heroes. Levi was one of them.

He sat down and squinted into the paper, scribbling signatures and reading every word on the damn form. This was surprisingly intense for junior karate.

Mikasa came back around in her karate uniform, her ink black hair looking stark against the crisp whiteness of her uniform. She smiled big and held her arms out to the side for her father to see.

“Miss Krista taught me how to put this on!” Mikasa grinned. “You think I look cool?” She spun and Levi smiled at her before patting her head.

“You look like a Karate master already, Mika-chan,” Levi assured her. Then he turned to the blonde girl, who almost looked surprised that Levi was looking at her. “And now for the payment . . .”

The girl held up her hands as if she were about to catch a ball. “N-No need, honestly! First week of classes are always free! But welcome to Shadis’ Karate studio!”

She nodded and walked away, almost as if she was running from Levi. He had no clue why the girl was so jumpy, but that wasn’t his business. Besides, he was aware he had that scary effect on people, as his daughter so lovingly put it.

“Your face is scary to people,” She mentioned one day at the zoo, making Levi frown even more.

 _Whatever_. Levi hardly cared about what others thought of him anyway. He was a single father and had been for nearly a decade. He’d much rather prefer if people left him alone instead of pestering him anyhow.

Shortly after, parents and kids began filling in. The parents took their seats while their kids grabbed their bags and made their way to the bathrooms to go change. It was all too natural, as these kids knew each other and Levi overheard parents begin catching up with one another. Levi felt completely out of place as well, considering most of the parents that occupied the space were _women_. Levi exhaled.

Mikasa was stuck to Levi’s side like glue, her grip on his arm tight and her big eyes looking around nervously.

“I don’t know anyone here, Papa,” Mikasa murmured, inching as close as possible to her father as much as she could.

Levi patted her back gently. “That’s not a bad thing, Mikasa. You can make some new friends and see some new teachers. Isn’t Miss Krista your friend, too?”

“Yes,” Mikasa smiled small.

“That’s right,” Levi assured. “And Papa will be right here, okay? Don’t forget about how excited you were to come here.”

“Let’s fall into line, everyone!” A tall, older kid ordered, crossing his arms and standing at the very front of the room. He was lanky looking with a long, slim face. He had poofy, spiky hair that looked ash blond while his roots were dark brown.

Like the other older kids, this guy wore a completely black uniform, which made Levi think he was an instructor. There were a total of four instructors, three boys and a girl, including the idiot with the dumb hair. They couldn’t have been more than college age, judging by their dumb expressions and energy levels.

Mikasa looked around nervously but followed the lead of the kids around her. She fell into line amongst around twenty or so other kids, who ranged from Mikasa’s age to even five years old. Levi suddenly had more respect for the college-aged instructors, who most definitely need a ton of patience to wrangle a bunch of children together like this.

As the class went on, Levi wasn’t entirely positive if he could make any sense of what he was seeing. They were doing orchestrated moves, but he was more focused on his daughter. She still had nervous glances to make sure she was following instruction, but soon enough, she seemed right at home. Levi made sure to send encouraging nods and gentle claps her way. Poor girl looked like she was about to puke. 

Levi could see her confidence growing like a flower. Once she separated into a group with a handful of other students led by a tall brunet instructor, Mikasa was eager and volunteered for everything. Once they began counting in Japanese along with their fighting moves, Levi really saw her soar to the sky with confidence.

This instructor guy seemed like a good teacher with these kids. Charismatic, to boot. Mikasa looked at him with the biggest eyes she saved only for her father, which made the older man a little jealous. But he supposed he should be grateful Mikasa is getting along with everyone here.

Levi remembered to take some photos. Of course her hair was getting sloppier and sloppier the more Mikasa punched and kicked around, but he didn’t mind. His daughter was having fun and that’s all that mattered.

At some point in the halfway mark, a five minute break was given to the kids and Mikasa came bounding back. She reached for her water and began chugging while Levi messed with her hair. He began lecturing her about her braids and her bow falling over to the side, to which she didn’t listen of course.

“Hey!” A voice sounded. Levi wasn’t sure the source of the voice until he looked up and saw an instructor hurrying towards him.

Levi had to do a double take.

This man looked like a model. He was tall and had thick, dark eyebrows and shoulder length hair that was sloppily tied into a half bun behind his head. He had a slim, yet strong nose and a strong and defined jaw. He also looked muscular beneath his karate uniform, which Levi tried to not pay too much attention to.

Levi turned to his side quickly, but realized with dread that this hunk of a man was indeed approaching _him_.

“Are you Mikasa’s dad?” The guy asked, hands on his hips and looking (quite literally) down on them both. His voice wasn’t as deep as Levi’s, but it was energetic and had a warm feeling to it.

“Yes.”

The man smiled, making Levi’s eyes twitch. “This is her first class, right? She’s doing a super good job so far—really fun to have around. You’re gonna keep her enrolled, I hope?”

Mikasa looked at him expectantly.

 _Oh I see_. Levi’s eyes narrowed. They send the Hollister models to single parents to seal the deal and have a reason to keep coming back. _Well played, Shadis. Well played._

“Yes, we’ll be coming back,” Levi answered flatly. “Mikasa really seems to enjoy Karate.”

 _And it worked, damn it._ Levi scowled. _Curse my bisexual tendencies._

“Yay!” Mikasa grinned. “Mr. Eren is my favorite, Papa! I’m in his group now! Isn’t that cool?”

“Very cool,” Levi nodded.

Levi kept his eyes on his daughter, ignoring the way this _Mr. Eren_ guy had his eyes rake up and down Levi’s body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 気をつけてね – Be careful  
> もしもし – Hello  
> 後で話しましょう — Let’s talk later  
> じゃあね – See ya
> 
> Comments and criticisms are always welcome! You can follow me on twitter for updates and such :) I go by skullstrings on there.
> 
> I forgot to mention that Hollister is a store in the mall where they only hire attractive people haha


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it’s slow right now!! I’m just building up the world and making sure we develop Mikasa and Levi’s relationship !!! 
> 
> But thank you guys for the lovely comments! I’m glad you’re all enjoying!!!

Levi sunk his teeth into the soft, rolling texture of his granola bar before tearing it away and taking a bite. The pleasant and somehow fragrant flavor of stale strawberry and plastic tasting yogurt overloaded his senses. As little as he cared for the stuff, it was enough to carry him over until lunch break since he scarcely has breakfast. As much as he loathed eating at his desk, he was starving and he skipped out on breakfast to watch more of that damn Avatar show with Mikasa.

Ever since her karate lesson a couple days ago, that girl has been kicking and punching every damn pillow in this house. Paired with her new obsession for that Avatar show, she’s running around talking about being a water bender. Levi thinks she would absolutely be an Earth bender, but he digressed. He was starting to get into the show as well, getting a soft spot for that Sokka kid.

Anyway, he was at work now and she was at school. He was half tempted to call that Petra woman and ask how everything was doing . . . Maybe later.

He scanned his dark eyes over his dual monitors. Lines and lines of colorful code filled his vision and he looked meticulously through each one. Looking for the smallest of imperfections, taking note of previous lines and seeing any inconsistencies—

Levi took another bite of his granola bar, grimacing at the taste. And this was his job. He clocked into work right at 7:30 and left between 1:30-3:00, which was the perfect time to drop off and pick up Mikasa from school. It was their little routine together and Levi had no intention to change any of that. He’s perfectly content with going to work and coming home to be a good father to his growing daughter.

“ _Levi_!” A swift hand landed itself on Levi’s shoulder, making the short man jump from his chair before glaring upwards.

Hanji Smith, the odd yet endearingly annoying CEO of _FreedomWings Studios_. She had long, dark brown hair that was constantly tangled up in a bun or a ponytail, which Levi always scolded her over. Her hygiene wasn’t . . . the best. In spite of this, Hanji was an incredibly smart and ambitious woman, creating her own indie game development company sometime while Levi was in college in Japan. Her and Levi were longtime friends, meeting in middle school and staying as close as Hanji forced them to be.

“Jesus, Hanji—“ Levi snarled at her, catching his breath. “Don’t you have half a brain to not sneak up on people?”

“So dramatic,” Hanji snickered, ruffling his hair. “ _Aaaaaanyway_ , I just wanted to let you know we’re celebrating Pixis’ birthday in the break room! We’re about to have cake!!”

Levi fixed his hair, glaring upwards at the woman. “And how exactly does that concern me?” She had too much energy for her own good most days.

“Sour puss,” Hanji grabbed the back of his shirt before bringing him to his feet. He flailed his legs and arms, narrowing missing the steaming mug of tea sitting idly at his desk. “Come sing ‘Happy Birthday!’ you old grouch! Wouldn’t you want people singing to you when it’s _your_ time to be all old and wrinkly?”

“No.”

“Oh, _whatever_! Come on!”

-

“How are the karate lessons going, bub?” Hanji asked innocently, shoveling her third serving of cake into her mouth. “Is Mikasa a karate master yet?” 

After wishing the old coot, Pixis, ahappy birthday, Levi grabbed a polite slice of cake to take back to his desk. He wasn’t one for sweets, so he planned on tossing it or giving it away when no one was looking. It was standard protocol whenever they had a damn birthday in these offices. He should just be lucky enough that his birthday was on Christmas, which meant hardly anybody ever noticed. 

Hanji must’ve sniffed out this plan like a bloodhound, considering she followed Levi back to his desk and sat on the edge, bothering him and stinking up the air. She swung her legs like a child, banging the back of her boots against the wood of Levi’s desk in an irritating way that was uniquely Hanji.

“They’re fine,” Levi began. “Mika—“

“See any milfs?” Hanji leaned in and giggled, Levi shoving her away before she got too damn close. Hanji cackled but plopped herself right back on the desk as if nothing happened.

“No,” Levi answered truthfully. “But Mikasa had a lot of fun. You should consider signing Armin up that way we can carpool.” He meant that. Armin was a soft looking kid. It might be worth signing him up. 

Hanji hummed against the plastic fork stuck in her mouth. Her son, Armin, was only a year younger than Mikasa and yet the two were closer than peanut butter and jelly. Armin was a shy, very smart kid that was essentially Erwin’s carbon copy. Levi remembered Hanji bemoaning the fact Armin looked nothing like her, because according to her ‘I did all the damn work!’. Levi scoffed.

“I’ll see what I can do about that,” Hanji nodded carefully, pointing her fork at an imaginary whiteboard that no doubt existed in her head. “My little Armin is such a sweet boy, he needs to know how to kick some ass if need be!”

Levi hummed, deciding to half-tune out his boss/long-term best friend. He had work to do, and he doubted she was leaving anytime soon. She began rattling off about something, involving Erwin and his parents—something about a baby or Armin? Levi was barely listening. 

He thought about work. He thought about his house. He considered doing a small home renovation project in a few months. What should he do, though? Mikasa’s bathroom was a little outdated. Her sink pressure was low and it was cheap porcelain, making it hard to clean. Plus the tile was outdated.

“—Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Yeah, sure.”

Hanji’s face brightened, making Levi nearly flinch as he looked at the brunette. She looked far too excited, her eyes wide and her grin stretching her face in half.

“So you do agree!” Hanji nearly howled, barely catching the glimpse of nearby coworkers. God knows they were used to her antics by now.

Levi frowned, trying his best to not scowl at her. He didn’t want his face to look too scary, after all.

“What the hell are you talking about, four eyes?”

Hanji gave him a lopsided, Cheshire grin as she placed a hand on her hip. “Levi, you weren’t listening to me again, were you?! Ahh!!! I knew it. Perhaps it was your subconscious? That replied to my question? Answering the deepest desires residing within?!”

“You’re a crazy person,” Levi decided, turning away and swiping crumbs off his desk and into the trash can. He promptly sanitized the surface shortly after, Hanji watching the action with a chuckling fit of laughter.

“ _Babes_ ,” Hanji sang, her obnoxious nickname making Levi roll his eyes. “I just asked you if you felt lonely and needed someone? I said, and to be precise, ‘Oh Levi, you’re such a good father to Mikasa but don’t you think you should have time in your life for someone else? Isn’t it lonely, just the two of you?’”

He felt red with embarrassment, waving the insufferable woman and her antics away. “Get away from me, Hanj.” 

Hanji sighed, wiping tears away. She slid Levi’s untouched slice of cake towards him, motioning to the mountain of white buttercream and yellow sponge cake.

“You should indulge once in awhile, bub,” Hanji winked, whacking Levi on his back. “It might be good for you. I’m gonna call Erwin.”

She hopped off his desk and made her way back to her office several feet away, whistling a cheery tune and acting like the world was at her hands—at least she thought.

Levi leaned back in his chair and stretched, almost as if he were trying to rid of the Hanji stench in his bones. He crossed his arms and glared at the unassuming, flat and messy slice of cake.

He didn’t need to date. He’s been telling his friends that for nearly a decade now, so they should know better! Levi can raise Mikasa all on his own, and involving someone else would just complicate all that. God knows he’s been set up on countless blind dates set up by his nosy friends, which of course, bothered him to no end. They ended up fruitless. If Levi didn’t like them, if they said something off, they would never call back after finding out about him being a single father. It just didn’t seem possible.

Even if he _could_ find someone who would date a single father with a shitty attitude and a busy schedule, what if Mikasa didn’t like them? That would absolutely be game over. His daughter comes first 100% and if Levi had high standards before Mikasa was born, he most definitely had them now. After all, it was his daughter. He couldn’t just let a stranger waltz into their life!

He scoffed. _Stupid Hanji and her stupid mind games._

_It’s just a slice of cake._

Levi scooped a piece of plain, yellow sponge cake with a hint of frosting before shoving it into his mouth.

-

Thursday came faster than Levi expected. He stopped by to pick up his daughter, who was already waiting for him.

Mikasa came barging into the car from school, shouting and hammering about karate time this, Sensei Eren that, high punch this—Levi loved it. He let her act rowdy in the car, as she was just an excited kid ready to do something she loved. 

Of course, that mood was ruined after many bobby pins, hair spray sessions and elastic rubber bands later, after Levi finished fashioning her hair into a pair of pigtails. Mikasa’s hair was absolutely darling, though her face was the grouchiest he’d seen it in awhile. He smiled and patted her head, tempted to take a picture. 

“You hurt my head, Papa,” Mikasa frowned, patting her hair gingerly. She leaned into the mirror and tilted her head about, admiring her father’s handiwork. “But it’s really pretty!”

“How about some ice cream after karate today?” Levi offered, placing a hand on her shoulder and guiding her out of the bathroom. “Just so Papa can say he’s sorry.” 

She grinned up at him, her softened expression tugging at Levi’s heartstrings. “And I can get any flavor I want?”

“Any flavor you want.”

“Will Sensei Eren be there?”

Levi twisted his face in confusion. Who the hell was . . . _Oh_ , that one instructor Mikasa liked. Levi wasn’t surprised Mikasa became mildly obsessed with him. He was good looking and nice, enough to captivate any child or lonely parent in the room. 

“No, he won’t. We’re going to see him right now, Mika-chan. Keep your pants on.”

“My pants _are_ on, Papa.”

-

Walking into the karate studio felt more jarring than it did on Tuesday, only a few days prior. They arrived on time, which meant way more parents and kids filing in at the same time.

Grimacing at the crowd, Levi did his best scooting by and sitting closest to the door. Mikasa wished him farewell as she grabbed her bag and went into the back to change. Levi was startled at how fast she was to leave him, a little hurt but glad the girl was getting so acquainted with the place.

Levi settled in, pulling out a book and reading straight away.

Though it seemed like Mikasa’s involvement with karate was most definitely going to be long term, the older man still felt no inclination to make any friends here. Once he enlisted Hanji and Erwin into this shit, the need for friends would decrease even more.

Levi figured that his ‘scary looking face’ and his book would send red flags to anyone nearby. The single father assumed that this would scream to others that he would like to be left alone.

Alas, that wasn’t clear to some.

“Which kiddo is yours?” Asked a voice.

Levi sighed, tucking his book away. He looked up towards the kids, who he hadn’t realized already finished their warm-ups and were already split into groups. He found Mikasa straight away, smiling and punching the air along with Sensei Eren, who guided her fists gently and gave encouraging smiles. 

The kids really liked him, didn’t they? Eren was tall, good looking and friendly. He was approachable and kind, yet with a passionate seriousness in his tone that only kids could follow blindly. He was perfect to work here. 

Levi nodded his head towards his daughter. He nearly forgot to respond. “The one with the pigtails.”

That answer seemed to light something within the older woman next to him. At least Levi _assumed_ she was older. He wasn’t really looking at her. 

“Oh! I saw you here on Tuesday but I didn’t get to say hi! My name is Pearl, what’s your name?”

This wasn’t good.

“Levi. My daughter’s name is Mikasa.” Levi silently nodded to himself. Short. Borderline rude, but not too hostile as to make the woman smack him. Perfect for dealing with nosy strangers.

Again, this wasn’t clear to the woman.

“What a pretty name! My son is Tommy, the one working with Sensei Jean over there. And did . . . you do those pretty braids on her or did Mom do them?”

“I did.”

Pearl smiled. Levi wasn’t looking at her face, only paying close attention to his daughter. In particular, he paid close attention to this Sensei Eren guy, who demonstrated the kicking and punching movement with such confidence and charisma that Levi had no choice but to watch. Mikasa also looked closely, her tiny fists mirroring his movements with perfection.

Levi wasn’t sure if Sensei Eren was a karate master, with how gentle and calculated his moves were. He looked more like a Hollywood actor, playing a part in a movie. 

“So is there no Mom in the picture?” This Pearl lady asked, leaning so close to Levi that he could smell her perfume. His nose wrinkled. Who the hell wears perfume to their kid’s karate lesson?

Though, the smell of kids feet and sweat isn’t all that appealing either. Levi was getting lost again. Shit, the woman said something to him. Levi panicked. God damn it, this is exactly like what happened with Hanji earlier. Curse that woman.

“Sorry, what was that?” Levi asked, meeting her eyes. Her blue orbs widened before looking away quickly.

“I was just going to ask for a phone number,” She waved the nervous air away. “Uhm—Me and the other parents have this group chat—carpools and whatnot. I was hoping we could get you to join?”

Levi’s face flattened. He loathed group chats more than anything in the world. Hanji attempted to make a bajillion with Levi’s work phone, which is probably why he never opened the damn thing in the first place.

But Mikasa was also extremely worried about making new friends here. He was sure if Levi made himself look like an unsociable asshole, the other kids might follow suit and isolate his daughter as well. Who knows. Maybe they could get invited to a birthday party or two. 

He took in a deep breath. “Sure.”

Levi handed his phone over without a second thought. The woman typed in whatever number and looked giddy over the entire thing, to which Levi couldn’t care less.

He was handed back his phone and right at that moment, Mikasa came bounding towards him, smiling with bright eyes like she always did.

“Want some water?” Levi asked, already reaching into her bag. Out of his peripheral, he saw Pearl slip away and tend to her own son.

“Uh-uh,” She shook her head.

He brought out the water anyway. “Trick question, Mikasa. You should always drink water. That’s what they give you breaks for.”

She took the water smiling before she opened the lid and began drinking.

“Are you having fun?” Levi prodded, straightening and tugging at her costume. “Any kids being mean to you?”

“No, Papa!” Mikasa answered, wiping her mouth with her sleeve. “I met a girl her name is Annie and-and she’s in my class at school! Did you see her, Papa? She has yellow hair and blue eyes.”

Levi hummed. He did recall seeing a blond girl in Mikasa’s group, but he didn’t realize her and Mikasa became friends outside of karate. This was a good sign.

“And she’s nice to you?”

“Very nice to me!”

“That’s all that matters, honey. Now go back, I think Sensei Eren is waving you over.”

He looked up and met the eyes of Eren, who was tugging his hair into a tight bun on the back of his head. He had a bobby pin clasped between his teeth and his brilliant, blue-green eyes were already looking at Levi.

He grinned and waved a hand while the other encapsulated his bun tightly. He had such an easygoing, sunny feel to him that it didn’t feel real to even look at him. 

Levi blinked before feeling compelled to wave back, mustering the friendliest expression he could without smiling. He patted Mikasa on the back before she ran off, her bare feet padding across the dojo.

Levi tucked his phone away, the taste of the cake filling his mouth from earlier. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think Levi would be either a fire bender or an earth bender....I haven’t quite decided??? I flip back and forth with my head cannons every week haha
> 
> Let me know what you thought, any criticisms, any comments... 
> 
> I’m on Twitter (skullstrings) and tumblr (skullstringz) as well!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eren is getting,, aggressive lol 
> 
> Sorry I was away for so long!! I’ve been super busy with school and work lately. But I’m here and vibing!! I love this story so much!! 
> 
> Thank you all for the lovely comments last time! It means a lot!

Levi wasn’t sure what’s gotten into him.

“I cannot believe you agreed to come with me!” Hanji grinned as they stretched lightly together. “What made ya change your mind?”

“I don’t know,” Levi lied.

Levi knew. It was the weeks’ worth of Karate lessons Levi has been enduring. Watching Mikasa work up a sweat has been making Levi self-conscious of the slight ‘dad pouch’ he’s developed over the years. He was more fit and lean in his early 20s, but something about chasing after a tiny human 24/7 sort of undoes that.

Not that he ever thought _less_ of himself for gaining some weight, but he figured he get healthy enough to watch Mikasa grow older.

Then, Hanji invited him out to a Zumba class that Sunday morning. It was last minute, but Levi assumed it was a divine intervention that morning. Hanji was surprised and annoyingly ecstatic. Erwin was stuck at home with Armin and Mikasa. Levi wished he traded places with that blond fool.

Hanji huffed before rolling her eyes. “We both know the answer to that, bubs!”

“ . . .”

“You want to be a _DILF_!” Hanji screeched, catching the attention of other women nearby. “Not that you’re already _not_ a DILF, of course. Maaaan, if Erwin were to get launched into the sun and you were a nice person, and it was 15 years ago—“

The older man rolled his eyes as he stretched his right arm over his chest and pinned it there for a few seconds. He tried not to let Hanji’s loud and embarrassing remarks discourage him.

Of course, he wouldn’t have needed Hanji to feel discouraged in the first place. His eyes darted around, very conscious of the fact that he was the _only man_ in this Zumba class, an outcome he feared when Hanji first invited him. He kept bothering Hanji, asking if it had been okay he was attending and she only responded with a flippant wave.

“Good morning, everyone!” The instructor entered the room, a young-looking man with the name tag ‘Floch’. He was loud, enthusiastic and eyed Levi right away. He hesitated for a few moments; the older man frightened he might ask Levi to leave.

Instead, this Floch kid _smirked_ before turning back to his class. He adjusted the headset tucked between tufts of fiery red hair before the class began.

Right away, Levi was annoyed. They started small, moving their hips in rhythm to the upbeat, club music. It felt dumb, but Levi worked up a sweat quickly. Sure, he felt stupid doing it, but he reminded himself that he wanted to be upgraded to DILF status. He wouldn’t ever say that out loud, though.

The exercises were quick, innocent looking movements. It wasn’t anything too intense, but Levi still felt the burn after a few minutes. It was more straining that it looked, at least that Floch kid looked totally untouched. Everyone else around him seemed focused as well, their brows furrowed and ponytails swinging.

Levi turned to make a joke towards Hanji, who was entirely in her own zone. For once, the woman had shut her mouth. Levi sucked in his teeth and focused up. He would be damned to let Hanji beat him in this one sided game of mental endurance.

The hour seemed to last a lifetime. Levi was slowing down and everything burned. Getting sent to hell would’ve been less painful than an hour of Zumba, Levi assumed. This sucked. It hurt. When was this over? Levi sent his best condolences to Mikasa, but Papa most likely wasn’t going to survive.

Stupid Floch. He kept chanting useless praises during the hour. Levi wanted to wring his neck. Or stab him. Then stab himself. Stupid, dumb, healthy kid. The kid was charitable enough to give them a small break about halfway through, but five minutes was not nearly enough time. Levi’s muscles were shaking and he was too exhausted to glare at Hanji, who only snickered at him.

And then it was done.

Levi wanted to fall over. The women filed out, excitedly chattering like they’d just come from a damn movie. They all looked fresh and joyous, like they’d just come from a tampon commercial.

“Seeeeee, that wasn’t so bad, _was it_?” Hanji teased, shoving Levi playfully. He didn’t respond, only gulping his water like his life depended on it. He could taste blood.

He followed Hanji out of the room, exiting out onto the main floor. The fans from above were shit at their job, but Levi was graceful for the scarce traces of cool air.

Their Zumba class was a room attached to the gym area, so once Levi exited, there were plenty of normal looking people working up a sweat. Levi would be relieved looking at everyone if he weren’t in so much pain right now.

“I’m gonna head over to the ladies room real quick,” Hanji leaned down, Levi annoyed at the subtle reminder of their height difference. She hurried off and away, Levi resolving to wait right here then.

Levi already felt like a massive creep being the only male in a Zumba class, so he tried his best to avert his eyes from everyone else and to study the tile floor as best he could. It’s been awhile since he’s been to the gym, and clouds of insecurity began formulating at the forefront of his brain.

“Hey, Levi!”

Levi spun around, looking for the source of the voice, disoriented at hearing his own name. _There_.

Levi turned around in the hopes these two men were calling out to someone behind him. Maybe they mistook the short man for another person?

Nope.

Eren, Mikasa’s karate instructor, was headed straight towards him. He was dressed in a loose looking muscle shirt that did brilliantly at showing off his abs, pecs, whatever else—and some loose, loose shorts.

He looked intimidating, with sweat kissed skin and chocolate brown hair tangled into a loose bun. He was tan all over, a slight blush over his cheeks from a fresh workout. His blue-green eyes were bright, looking like the Mediterranean Sea. Levi sneered. He probably shouldn’t be surprised that someone like _Eren_ was here.

He also had a tall, blond guy next to him. The man was a little taller and just as good looking; He had ashy blond hair, strong features hidden under a fluffy beard and packed on muscle. He had small, round glasses that hid his features, but Levi could still make out how good looking he was. This was annoying.

“You can’t walk, huh?” Eren’s eyes darted down Levi’s body. “Tough workout?”

Levi’s eyes narrowed. That sultry choice of words did nothing to help Levi’s nerves at being approached by two giant, handsome young men. Hanji needed to hurry up and piss or shit already.

“I didn’t know you went to this gym!” Eren grinned, his hands resting on his hips. Despite Levi’s lack of involvement in the conversation, Eren seemed to not (for lack of better words) give a shit. He looked enthusiastic about simply being in Levi’s presence.

“And I didn’t know you wore anything besides that karate uniform,” Levi half-joked back, wanting to not be a complete asshole and ignore the guy.

He needed to be a little bit of an asshole, though. After all, he’d just finished embarrassing himself with how out of shape he was, and now these two, muscular young dudes were cornering him. 

“It’s a _gi_ , Levi. I thought you’d know better by now.” Eren winked. The blond next to him gave him a look before the brunet explained quickly, “Levi and his daughter go to karate with me.”

The taller man’s eyes brightened. “Oh! _This_ is Levi, huh?”

Levi looked suspicious. What the hell was _that_ supposed to mean? Eren’s talked about Levi before? What has been said, huh? Tch! He knew karate was a mistake.

“Levi, this is my brother, Zeke.”

_I don’t care._

“Hi,” Levi held up a hand. Zeke looked nothing like Eren.

He spotted Hanji approaching from the bathroom, her face scrunched and looking nauseous. A sting of worry interrupted his thoughts, but Levi shook them off.

“I have to go now,” Levi spoke. “Nice talking with all of you. See you at Karate, Eren.”

Eren opened his mouth to speak, but Levi didn’t allow another word to be exchanged between them. He bolted, catching up with his miserable looking friend so they could finally get home.

-

“I don’t think you’re planning on telling me, huh? Shitty glasses.” Levi grumbled aloud, unwavering from the words in the book he was reading.

Hanji looked surprised. “Huh?”

It was two days later, now. They were at karate lessons, as it so inevitably seemed. Levi liked to attend these lessons alone, but Hanji begged to go. This time, he didn’t kick her off or loudly berate her.

After all, Levi would admit he’s been bragging around the office about how well Mikasa was doing at karate. He could tell people were politely bored, but he didn’t care. His daughter was doing something cool and he wanted people to know, damn it. Hanji was the only who who seemed enthused about the whole situation, wanting to know more.

And who was Levi to pass up on this opportunity?

“This is a nice facility,” Hanji remarked, leaning forward with her hands clenching the seat beneath. Her eyes wandered about, staring at everyone and everything. “Clean lookin’.”

Levi hummed. “Yes, it’s up to my standards. Mikasa—Hey, don’t change the subject, shit head! What was up with you on Sunday?”

“What do you mean?” Hanji cried defensively. “Zumba was hard! I hate having that Floch kid—!! He’s so intense—“

“Not with that guy,” Levi snapped, growing agitated that his best friend was hiding something. “With you! You came from the bathroom looking like you just shit out your mouth. What gives?”

Hanji scoffed, an amused smile on her face. “Sooo visual, Levi! But nothing is wrong, ‘Kay? I promise I’ll tell you—I just can’t right now—“

“What do you mean you _can’t_?” Levi glared. “We’ve been friends for years, Hanji. What could you _possibly_ not tell me?”

“Hey, am I interrupting at a bad time?”

The smooth voice snapped Levi from his heated thought space with Hanji. He looked up and it was like he just remembered where he was.

He was at the karate studio, having a rather feverish bickering with Hanji. Embarrassment crept into his gut as he realized he might’ve been louder than he had anticipated.

Eren was standing over them, messy brown hair tied backwards. He looked sheepish, as if he’d come up to Hanji and Levi asking them for a piece of candy or something.

“Were we too loud?” Levi asked, expecting in full to be reprimanded or asked to leave.

Eren’s eyes widened. “Uh—No! Not at all—!”

Levi’s eyes narrowed. Eren was a bad liar.

“Lessons are over, erm—the kids are changing now, actually. I just wanted to come up and tell you guys that we’re really glad Mikasa decided to join,” Eren’s sentence became more sure towards the end, as if he’d rehearsed this sentiment before. “She’s grown into such a strong girl and we’re very proud!”

Hanji grinned and nodded along, Levi glaring. He was sure she was just grateful for the distraction away from Levi’s curiosity. The father most definitely didn’t forget Hanji’s idiotic behavior. The interrogation will have to wait.

“And Levi’s such a good dad,” Eren smiled at this, looking at Hanji now. “He’s one of the only parents who sits and watches the whole time. We really appreciate that about him, y’know? Lots of parents sorta just drop their kids off.”

Levi hummed, crossing his arms. He was staring suspiciously at Eren, unsure of this kid’s motives. He’s been nothing but a ball of sunshine to Levi, and for seemingly no reason. He surely must’ve wanted something, right?

“But we’re happy Mom can finally make it!” Eren laughed at this, a reaction that made Levi skeptical. He scoffed once the weight of Eren’s words fully sunk in.

Hanji’s eyes widened. “Oh, no! I’m not Mom. Goodness, no. Mikasa is wayyyy too pretty to be mine. I’m just a friend.”

“I’m so sorry!” Eren blushed, waving his hands frantically. “I didn’t mean to assume—!”

“Ohmigod, you’re good, sweetie!” Hanji grinned cheerfully. “Happens quite often, actually! Maybe they assume someone as tall as Mikasa couldn’t possibly belong to Levi, eh?”

Eren laughed, Levi enjoying this conversation less than he was earlier, which was a feat. Eren’s presence seemed to just humiliate Levi at every turn. Stupid kid.

The brunettes exchanged a few more uninteresting words about how Hanji knew Levi, how she was his boss and self-proclaimed ‘very best friend’.

“So, Levi,” Eren set his scopes on the short man again. “Do you go to Walls Fitness often?”

Levi narrowed his eyes. “Huh?”

“The place where we had our Zumba class!” Hanji swatted the shorter man with her arm. “Ahh, so that’s who I saw Leevs talking to! What a small world!”

“Yeah!” Eren nodded. “I was just working out with my brother and saw Levi looking like he got ran over. Do you guys go there all the time?”

Levi grew pink with embarrassment. He didn’t need to be reminded about his humiliating performance at the damn Zumba class; especially not in front of someone like Eren.

“I do!” Hanji chirped. “I dragged Levi along that one time. But who knows, maybe he’ll make it a regular occurrence?”

Levi scoffed. “Try being a single father and you’ll see how much free time there is to yourself.”

“You’re single?” Eren asked curiously.

Levi didn’t like this.

“Papa! Auntie!” A voice chirped.

Mikasa came running from the back, her dark ponytail swinging behind her. She ran at full speed into Levi’s arms, who braced himself against the impact.

“落ち着く, Mika-Chan,” Levi scolded gently, stroking her hair. “What’d you do with your bow?”

“‘s in my backpack,” Mikasa answered, tightening her grip around her father. “Are we going to Auntie’s house today? Is Armin gonna play with me?” She pressed a cheek against Levi’s arm and looked up at him with her big, brown eyes. 

Levi smiled, rising to stand. “Since you’ve been such a good girl lately, sure. We’ll have a play date tonight.”

Hanji cheered, Mikasa following suit. Eren watched the entire interaction with a smile. He was just a stranger, though a pleasantly familiar stranger. Even Levi couldn’t deny that.

“Is Sensei Eren coming?”

“No,” Levi answered quickly. “He lives at the karate studio.”

Eren sent him a twisted look of amused confusion before Mikasa giggled. 

“You have a big house, Eren-sensei,” Mikasa joked back, making her father chuckle. “Maybe you can come play next time?”

Levi gripped her shoulder before hesitantly meeting Eren’s ever eager eyes. “Next time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 落ち着く — Calm down
> 
> What do you guys think?

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you guys are enjoying the work so far! 
> 
> Follow me on Twitter for updates @ skullstrings


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